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Monday, May 14, 2001
Attempted rape charge troubles Schultz
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SEATTLE – New Seattle SuperSonics majority owner Howard
Schultz is upset by the charge of third-degree attempted rape
against one of his team's top players, Ruben Patterson.
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Arraignment delayed
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Arraignment for Seattle SuperSonics forward Ruben
Patterson on a charge of attempted rape has been delayed until next
week.
Patterson had been scheduled to appear in King County Superior
Court on Friday, but his attorney has asked for more time to
prepare, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the county prosecutor's
office. The arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Defense attorney John Wolfe has said Patterson would enter a
modified guilty plea.
Patterson is accused of attempting to rape the family's nanny in
September at the family home in Bellevue.
Wolfe has said Patterson plans to enter an Alford plea, in which
a defendant does not admit guilt but agrees there may be sufficient
evidence for a jury to convict him.
-- Associated Press
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"At the end of the day, I think, our fans deserve to be in a
position where they can look at the athletes who represent their
team and trust who they are as people," Schultz said in an
interview with The Seattle Times that was published Thursday.
"I'm terribly troubled and have been since all this came to
pass."
The case involved the Patterson family's 24-year-old nanny, the
King County prosecutor's office said in charging papers filed this
week in county Superior Court.
Patterson planned to enter a modified guilty plea Friday, said
John Wolfe, his lawyer.
Schultz and a group of about 50 investors bought the Sonics from
Barry Ackerley for $200 million this season. He has been meeting
with the team's fans, asking for suggestions on how to improve the
Sonics.
"I've said all along that I view the Seattle SuperSonics as
part of the public trust of our community and I'm a steward of that
trust," said Schultz, who built Starbucks into the world's largest
coffee retailer. "What this is about is preserving and protecting
that trust with our fans.
"I think we have some decisions to make. And I'm quite
concerned about Ruben's future with the team."
The 6-foot-5 Patterson had his best season with the Sonics this
season, averaging 13.1 points, five rebounds and 27.1 minutes in 76
games. He will be a restricted free agent this summer.
In February, Patterson was suspended by the NBA for three games
because of his conviction on an assault charge for breaking a man's
jaw in Cleveland, his home town.
Patterson pleaded guilty in late January to a misdemeanor
assault charge and was placed on probation. He said he thought the
man had scratched his car outside a nightclub.
Schultz said his basketball players all should have high
character.
"Character is about leadership and trust," he said. "I think
you judge these things on a case-by-case basis. What I can do is
create an environment around what I expect the Sonics and everyone
involved to embrace.
"There is a character and a culture I want us to stand for,"
he said. "I don't think you can have different rules for different
people based on their athletic ability or their status with the
team."
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